Heresy
by Karianasan
Summary: Daphne has a bright idea, and she wants to drag Velma along. But Daphne will soon regret opening her mouth...Maybe. Slice of Life story, R&R are always welcome! Enjoy! Based on real events!
1. Heresy!

With daylight a faint memory, various shadows were creeping out from their dark corners and moving in towards their unsuspecting victim. On the lowest level of the household, Velma had tucked herself deep in one of her favorite places; the basement. But in all her brilliance, she had been so absorbed in the book she had been curled around, to notice that the sun had retreated and she was squinting more and more at the page before her. But the plot was getting so involved; she wasn't paying attention to much else…

***blink blink blink*** ~**Buzz Buzz Buzz**~

Clicking on nearby; a small blinking light flashed and let out a small buzz. Head snapping up from the bean bag she had been tucked into, she looked at the light in surprise! Flicking her eyes towards the door that lead to the basement, that light and particular buzz meant only one thing!

_Daphne._

…After several encounters with the red head, Velma had heard enough of her lectures about reading without proper lighting. And it was those situations, that she had installed a small alarm system to help her avoid such conflict. And it was in such a location, and placement that the redhead would never notice it among the many other lights, switched and dials that she had installed nearby. She also had others that were set up for other situations, but they only would light up when certain conditions were met. And the ones that were triggered meant Daphne was coming down the stairs.

With only seconds to spare, Velma slipped a bookmark in place and gave a sharp set of two claps. The program she set up heard the key sounds, and flicked to life. Turning on several nearby lights, her program made it seem like it had been that way the whole time. With the lights in place, she quickly pulled the bookmark out of the way and lowered her head in time for the door to get knocked upon.

"Velma?"

Peeking around the door, Daphne peered into the basement in search for Velma. It took only a brief scan, before she found her tucked in one corner with book in hand. None the wiser, that she had almost caught her in the dark and reading. Though Velma did notice that Daphne had seen the light and nodded, making her glad she had set up that warning system ahead of time. One lecture less, was always good.

"Yeah Daph, what's up?" Velma said, shifting herself on the beanbag making it squish and crinkle as she moved. Picking up the bookmark and placing it into the book, back into the same page that it had been only moments before. Daphne moved across the basement and stood only a few feet away from Velma, so that she didn't have to raise her voice in order for them to talk.

"Oh, I was just thinking about kidnapping you." Daphne said with a nod, looking about the basement and taking in how the basement was set up. Trying to gauge what the younger woman had been up to since she had seen her last. But the basement tended to be covered in various projects and papers that it was sometimes hard to tell what had been worked on, among the clutter. For keeping her room so pristine, Velma was awfully messy with her workspace. Velma placed the book by her side and snorted at the halfhearted comment on why she had come all this way to bug her.

"Kidnap me?" Velma chuckled as tried to extract herself out of the bean bag chair, though the chair had other ideas and shifted in such a way that the younger woman was struggling to get to her feet. "Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"Well, at the rate you're going… I might have to wait till the bean bag finishes with you before I get my turn." Daphne snickered, enjoying watching Velma struggle to get out. She placed a hand on her hip and shifted her weight to watch Velma wiggle about and try to free herself.

"…Har har. A little help here?" Velma slumped back into the ensnaring piece of furniture, thrusting a hand out for Daphne to offer her some assistance. If she wanted to kidnap her, she would first have to free from her previous captor.

Laughing a bit, Daphne watched only for a few seconds more before reaching down and pulling Velma free. Making sure to brace herself, so that she didn't fall over while she was trying to get Velma out. The last thing they needed was her falling over and adding more to the trouble. Once out, Daphne held on to Velma's hand to make sure she got her footing ok, before letting go.

"Thanks." Velma said as she moved to dust herself off. Not expecting the bean bag to have given her that much hassle, just to get out of it. "I'll never know how Shaggy and Scooby sleep on these things over a bed."

"Heh, I wonder that sometimes myself." Daphne shrugged, "It works for them though. "

"Yeah." Velma tried to picture herself laying on a pile of them and while it was comfortable to sit in, it was hard to picture a pile being all that comfortable. Moving to place her book aside, Velma turned back to Daphne and held her hands out in front of her. Like the kind of pose you would see someone with handcuffs on.

"Alright, you helped me out… So where do you want to kidnap me too? Or are you just going to toss me over your shoulder and walk off with me." Velma had to add with a jab at Daphne, who huffed in response.

"No, I'll let you walk on your own power for this kidnap." She said shaking her head. As much fun as it was to be kidnapped by Shaggy, it still had been kind of embarrassing to be hauled out of the house like that. "Actually, I just wanted someone to join me for a walk. And you've been hiding down here long enough, that I figured you could use some fresh air."

Looking up at one of the nearby windows, Velma could clearly see that it was dark out. Looking back to Daphne, she raised an eyebrow and looked the woman over.

"…A walk? Now?"

Thinking it over, she really wasn't against the idea. But a night walk did feel a bit odd all of a sudden. Not that she hadn't done it before, but she hadn't really expected to do that randomly, that night.

"Yeah, I figured we could use the exercise!" Daphne chirped, started to move towards the basement stairs to lead the way. She wasn't wearing the right outfit for it, but it wouldn't take her long to chance. Especially if she had to wait for Velma to get dressed too.

Velma gave her another look, but followed Daphne anyway.

"…Don't we get enough exercise being chased all the time?"

"Well, sometimes it would be nice to be able to workout at our own pace." Daphne said with a toss of her hand. "… But if you really need a monster running behind you to get a workout, I bet I could get Fred or Shaggy to wear some mask and chase after us."

"…" Wide eyed, Velma tried to consider the idea. But both mental images were more then she could take. Especially with the possibility of someone going out to throw out some trash, and looking up in time to see the two ladies run by with some goofy looking Fred or Shaggy in a mask chasing behind them. _What would the neighbors think?_

"Sans monster would suit me fine. Plus, I don't know how well the neighbors would appreciate that." Velma pointed out, earning a chuckle from Daphne as she started up the stairs.

"Alright, one workout minus the monster… coming up!"


	2. Walking Along

Splitting off at the end of the hallway, both women moved to their respective rooms and got into more comfortable clothing for a walk. It was moving closer towards winter, so the air would be crisp and a bit on the chilly side. So as much as Velma loved her sweater and skirt combo, she preferred pants for nights like this. And Daphne was with similar mind, as she moved for pants over her normal wear as well. Plus sneakers made it easier on her legs then heels, and they tended to be more comfortable for long walks.

Tossing a wave to Fred, they just told him they were going out for a walk.

Shivering a bit once they stepped outside, it quickly faded as they got used to the chill. Walking down the length of the sidewalk, Daphne stopped as the concrete split and went off in opposite directions. Only a step or two behind her, Velma had to stop when Daphne did, looking back and forth at their two options.

"…Left or right?" Daphne mused, pointing in both directions but letting Velma choose. It didn't really matter either way to her, since she figured they would end up walking around it circles anyway.

"Well… Are we aiming to go anywhere in particular?" Velma asked, looking both ways. Though if they headed one way, it would just lead to the dead end at the end of the block, and they would have to wrap around and pass by their house again. So it depended on if they had a goal in mind, which direction they should go.

"Nah, But I did think that we could get a few ideas for decorating the house for Christmas this year. I know a bunch of houses already have their lights up. So we can see a few as we walk." Daphne offered, though it really wasn't much for a direction choice, but another reason to wander around late at night. It was a bit hard to see the decorations and lights during the daytime.

"Hm…" Looking towards the dead end, there really wasn't too many lights down that way. So Velma opted to walk the other direction if light displays were an objective. Pushing herself off into a brisk walk, Daphne was quick to catch up.

Slowly, one by one… They put blocks behind them and moved about their neighborhood in search for lights. Some were elaborate, while others were just a few strands of lights thrown upon the nearby shrubs and trees at random. Though Velma really liked the cascading effect that she saw on one of the bushes they passed. It was a bunch of icicle looking decorations, which at a distance looked like sparks. But they were far to uniform and repetitive to actually be something of concern, and looked really pretty once the two ladies got up to it.

"Oh, those are the Shooting star Icicle lights, made by the Gemmy company. They are neat!" Daphne said, once they got close enough for her to see what it was that had caught Velma's attention. "The cascading light effects move down the icicle pattern to give the effect of shooting stars or gently falling snow. And they are those LED lights you like so much, which is a lot better than bulbs in the long run."

"Wow Daph, you sound like a commercial." Velma chuckled, though impressed with the simple yet elegant display. "…Maybe they should hire you for their advertising."

"Oh hush. I just paid attention to the circular a few weeks back that had them on sale…"Daphne said before pausing, adding the second part under her breath. "Ignoring the fact that the guy who was demonstrating the display at the mall, was kind of cute."

"Ah, I should have known." Velma grinned, giving the woman a hip bump as she rolled her eyes. But she couldn't fault her. To each their own, and she had ran across a few displays at the mall that caught her attention. And she wouldn't admit it aloud, but it wasn't always about the product that made her slow down and give something a second look.

"Yeah yeah. But at least it wasn't like that one guy at the Home Depot that one time." Daphne said, bumping Velma right back for the hip shot.

"Which one?" Velma tried to think. Frankly the comment could be about several things that had happened at that hardware store.

"That one time with Shaggy… When the guy who was running the jackhammer asked him if you could handle it." Daphne chuckled, remembered the scene.

"Oh, that one."

Velma sighed, shaking her head. Several times she had gone to Home Depot for something, and noticed the jackhammer on display for trying it out. But time and time she passed by it, there was no one there that had the keys to turn it on. But one time with Daphne and Shaggy, they had finally passed by it with a guy next to the display. Eager to finally try it, Velma had tugged the others to it. But when she politely asked to try the jackhammer, the employee turned to Shaggy of all people and asked him if Velma could handle the machine. Tossing his hands up in defense, Shaggy told the man he was the last person to know how to handle one of those, and Velma had far more experience with tools then he did.

"I had to hold my tongue when he was explaining that the device was hard to work with, and how to properly use it. Even though when he tried to show as an example, he ended up putting the tip way too far into the concrete slab that was there." Velma sighed. Placing a hand to her forehead at the memory. It would at least be a smart idea to put someone who knew how to use the machine, on display duty.

"Yeah, it was funny to watch his face when he finally handed it to you, and you went to town on the sucker and broke it into pieces. " Daphne laughed, remembering the look. "I don't think he expected you to be that good, or be having that much fun."

"…" Blushing a bit, Velma had been having a lot of fun trying it. There was something about using the powerful tool to smash the normally hard material into small chunks with ease. And no minor delight in outshining the doubtful man who had to ask Shaggy for permission.

"… It was fun." Tapping the tips of her fingers together, she couldn't meet Daphne's eyes.

"Awww… Velma's blushing. Hehehe."

But as Velma looked away, her attention fell upon a box that was ahead. Forgetting that she was embarrassed, something told her that there was more to the box then it appeared. Picking up speed, Velma moved towards the boxes with purpose. And the sudden change of attention wasn't missed by Daphne, who moved to keep pace. Curious at what could have changed her companion's mood that quickly.

As they got closer, it was apparent that there were actually two boxes. And the sides bulged a bit at the contents that were inside. Looking back to Daphne to make sure she followed, Velma shifted her attention back to the box. Peering inside, Velma's eyes went wide with the contents! Stacked one on top another, the whole box seemed to be shoved full of books. And not only just books, but what looked to be a full set of Encyclopedia's. And some were still in the original wrapping!

"**_Heresy!_**" Snorted Velma, being a bit too loud for the late night. But she was quickly angered over the contents of the box. And at a quick look over to the other box, it was full with even more tomes of knowledge… Tossed aside and waiting to be taken to the dump. "How dare someone do something like this, to such a collection of information?!"

Turning to Daphne, Velma was visibly annoyed. Though Daphne tried to keep her tone down with hand gestures. But she could understand the woman's frustration. Especially with Encyclopedia's. Since Velma had once lost a whole set to an energetic clown; who thought it would be a good idea to make them into confetti. But that was an event that was not to be mentioned, since it had forever haunted the braniac with Coulrophobia. The fear of Clowns.

"Maybe they got a new set… Though I doubt it given the fact that they didn't even open all of the books…" Daphne tried to reason, which only made Velma coo and try to console the poor abandoned books.

"How dare they… Poor things." Velma snorted, tried to look through the boxes and see if it was all there. Uncaring about the fact that she was looking through it right in front of the person's house.

"… Well, a lot of people are going digital now. So they don't have need for all these books anyone." Daphne said with a shrug. She could understand it, but she could also understand that some people liked to actually have the book in their hands some times. (cough-the-person-she-was-standing-next-to-cough)

"Still…." Velma whined, looked up at Daphne. "... Internet and tablets are nice and all… But these poor things…"

Getting and idea, Velma moved to place her hands around the box possessively. She then shot a pathetic look up at Daphne. And it didn't take long before the taller woman figured out what Velma wanted.

"… Oh no… Really?" Looking down at the boxes, they looked heavy. Since it was chock-full of information and many many pages. Which earn a sly smile from Velma.

"…Well, you said you wanted a workout."


	3. The Prize!

_Sometimes… Daphne regretted having some of her 'bright' ideas._

Finally getting home, Daphne was able to exhaustedly follow after a much chipper Velma, as she led the way into her bedroom for the final resting place of the boxes. Giving them a well-deserved home and permanent residence over being thrown out. Groaning, Daphne was happy to finally set the box down and give her back a stretch.

"Ugh... That was heavy."

"Yessss… Heavy with knowledge!" Velma hissed, her eyes twinkling. Wasting no time opening the box she had brought home with her and pulling book after book out and placing it on the floor. It didn't take long before they could both see a common pattern among most of the books. Though there were a few random ones thrown in, most were from one single set of encyclopedia's. And even though there were less of the other random books, they weren't worth any less in the eyes of Velma. Because any form of information was loved. Books, newspapers… heck even those little pamphlets that sat tucked in a small cubby for museums or any place of interest… found a home in that room.

Almost tossing the empty book aside, Velma dove at the other box with gusto. Making Daphne laugh at her antics. She looked like an eager kid at Christmas; but it was a bit early for such celebrations and several years too late for Velma to act like that. Though… that never stopped the dynamic duo every year, so she couldn't blame Velma for acting like that.

With Velma getting to the bottom of the second box, it seemed that she had what looked like a complete set with one of them, and scattered volumes with two other sets.

"Hm… Do you have it all?" Daphne peered over Velma's shoulder, as she shifted the volumes around to put them in order. "…All the World books?"

"Almost." Velma said with a sigh, her hand placed in spot where the one missing volume should sit. Running a finger down the spines of the others, reading each letter in order to find which one she was missing. "… Looks like I'm missing 'G'. Volume number eight. But other than that, it's got everything else. Even the indexes."

She could live with it, Velma though. There was still a lot of information there to make her happy.

"What are these other books?" Getting up, Daphne moved across the room, from where she had been recuperating on the bed, to pluck one of the other books that didn't match with the World Book set.

"… Childcraft?" Daphne said aloud, reading the title from the spine of the book. Turning it to have the cover face her, she noticed that was just the title of the set of books, as the front read 'stories and poems'.

Leaning back to see which one was in Daphne's hands, Velma had peeked into that one before Daphne picked it up.

"Looks like a mix of short stories and folk tales. Kind of cute. And the other books have other subjects as well." Velma said holding up one of the other ones. Which just read 'Once upon a time' on the cover, with more colorful pictures like the other book that Daphne was looking at.

"Hmm… I might have to give this a read sometime." Daphne said honestly, opening the book and flipping through some of the pages. Curious about the story of 'How it Snowed Fur and Rained Fry Cakes in Western Virginia.'

"See! This is why it's such a _travesty_ to see these books go to waste!" Velma shook her head, not understanding why someone could do that with such beautiful books. But it was their loss, and her gain. Though as Daphne fingered through the pages, something fell from the pages. Plucking from where it landed, Velma gave it a look.

"Hm, what do you have there?" Daphne asked after a bit, noticing that Velma was looking at a small scrap of paper. Leaning over, she was able to get a good look at it, though it still didn't help her know exactly what it was…

"Is that a dog?"

"… I think it's supposed to be a car." Velma said, tilting both her head and paper to try to get a good look at it. It was obviously a little kid drawing. Or someone really needed to stick to stick figures…

"…Hm, you're right. I think." Daphne looked down and noticed another piece of paper that was sticking out from one of the other books. Which was another little kid type drawing. Though that one looked more like a cow.

"I guess a kid was using these for keeping her papers. I hope they aren't missing them." Daphne felt a bit bad, but they were being thrown out. So maybe who ever owned it, had time to pull out their favorites out of the bunch, before they went to the curb.

"Maybe. But I guess it's too late now. I don't think it would be well received to walk up and knock on their door to return the drawings, after stealing the books off their front lawn." Velma admitted, her actions finally catching up to her.

"They were out by the curb, they were free game. But yeah, I see what you mean. Oh well." Daphne said stifling a yawn. After the long walk and then an even longer haul to bring the boxes back home, she was tired.

"Well, I think its bed time for me. And you should sleep too." Daphne said bopping Velma on the head. "I don't want to come down here in the morning and find out that you still haven't slept yet, because you wanted to read them all."

Velma looked up at the bop, but looked away at Daphne pointing out what she had been planning to do.

"You brought them home, so they aren't going anywhere. So start reading tomorrow. And get some sleep tonight." Daphne gave Velma a head ruffle, before heading off another yawn. With book in hand, she started to walk towards her bedroom before Velma spoke up.

"Uh… Daph?"

Looking back, her eyes starting to droop as she glanced back at Velma.

"Hm?"

Pointing to Daphne's hands, she then picked up another of the Childcraft books to wave in her direction to get the message across. "…My book?"

"…Meph! No, I want to read this one when I wake up." Daphne said with a snort, feeling like she earned that much for carrying one of the boxes home. But before Velma could complain, she turned her back and shuffled off towards her room for the night. Only giving Velma a sleepy wave before she disappeared.

"Hmph." Velma snorted, but it was short lived as a yawn finally caught up with her. Resigning herself to get dressed and head off to bed herself.

"…Fine. But tomorrow, you guys are all _mine_."


End file.
